KeyPoint cyber attack compromises 48,000 federal employees

Officials have said that the computer files of more than 48,000 federal workers may have been compromised by a cyber attack at federal contractors KeyPoint Government Solutions.

While there is no conclusive evidence that information was removed from the system, 48,439 federal workers are being notified that their personal information may have been exposed.

KeyPoint provides specialized investigative services to a range of US federal government organizations. It is currently the leader in its field, after its competitor – the United States Investigative Services (USIS) – lost its business with the government following a devastating cyber attack earlier this year.

The USIS breach compromised files of at least 25,000 Department of Homeland Security employees, which led to the cancellation of more than $300 million in contracts.

With more files believed to be compromised in the KeyPoint breach, it is likely that KeyPoint will receive a similar, if not worse fate than USIS.